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'GetBlue' campaign reaches $2-million goal

The pledge campaign to lure JetBlue flights to Tallahassee International Airport has exceeded its $2-million goal.

City Commissioner Scott Maddox confirmed the "getBlue" campaign reached the goal, set earlier this month by a group of community and business leaders.

The pledge drive asked residents to visit getblueTallahassee.com and pledge an approximate amount they would spend on JetBlue flights should the airline establish direct service between Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. The initiative was started to demonstrate local demand for the airline.

The campaign was given a boost by Florida State University, which pledged $1 million based on estimated travel expenses for staff.

"I think it's a giant threshold we have crossed in showing community interest in a Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale flight," Maddox said. "Now what we need is the planes."

Local leaders, led by Maddox, have been pushing to bring JetBlue to Tallahassee. More than half of air travelers in Tallahassee, fly out of airports in other cities, according to the pledge website. JetBlue would be a perfect fit for Tallahassee, the website says, since the airline doesn't have service between New Orleans and Jacksonville. The airline's "low-cost" structure could also drive down ticket prices at the airport, supporters say.

Maddox has asked Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, for state money for airline marketing in order to assist JetBlue. The status of that appropriation, Maddox said, is unknown at this time.